GE lighting division Current has paired up with UK industrial IoT company IMS Evolve on an IoT solution for making energy savings in cold chain storage for clients in the food retail sector.
The joint platform combines Current’s Daintree wireless controls infrastructure and IMS Evolve’s integration and automation capabilities, focused on cold chain storage. It promises food retailers a way to reduce operational costs, through savings in energy, waste, and maintenance.
The pair have struck a deal with an unnamed US retailer – described as a “popular regional US grocer” – with nearly 200 stores, which they reckon will gain $1.2 million in annual savings through a combination of refrigeration, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), and lighting-related energy savings.
IMS Evolve said the retailer could reduce food spoilage by up to 30 per cent and cut reactive maintenance costs by 25 per cent.
The software fits with existing hardware. It runs on Current’s wireless area controller (WAC), with data being acquired and leveraged through the IMS system to drive process automation.
Colleen Calhoun, head of software solutions and chief marketing officer at Current, said: “We see great potential in our continued collaboration with IMS Evolve. As the grocery industry progresses from manual to fully-integrated and automated controls, food retailers will see a marked drop in the operational costs it takes to efficiently keep food quality high while delivering an excellent customer experience.”
Jason Kay, chief commercial officer at IMS Evolve, said: “With a powerful proposition that combines our proven IIoT solution with Current’s technology and experience servicing complex retail environments, we are able to deploy our solution at scale and speed to retailers across the world, releasing significant value and rapid ROI.”
